The Primorye Territory Hunting Oversight Department together with the Amur Tiger Center are conducting a vaccination programme for wild boars in an effort to stave off classical swine fever.

A department representative said the programme was caused by the situation with feed in the Primorye Territory: “Over the past two years, the population of wild boars in the region has increased due to the harvest of pine nuts and acorns, but this year the situation is unfavorable. So, some part of the young boar population is unlikely to survive until the spring. Many animals will be weakened. Fortunately, there is little snow now.”

According to department head Vladimir Vasilyev, the vaccination will preserve the boar population.

“Vaccinating in 15-20 sites of the region is unlikely to provide a 100% guarantee, but it will create high immune barrier zones in the areas where the bores are concentrated. This will limit the spread of the disease,” he said.

According to the department, many predators eat mainly hoofed animals, and so the number hoofed animals is a fundamental factor in influencing the population of the Amur tiger and the Amur leopard in Russia’s Far East.

The Amur Tiger Center will carry out the vaccination programme in the region’s hunting land where the animals can be fed. The center has already purchased 20 kilograms of vaccine. It will be added to the feed left at feeding sites.